Low birth weight prevalence in Europe (WHO region)

Europe (WHO region): Low birth weight prevalence was 7.6% in 2020. ▼ Falling

Latest (2020)
7.6%
Change on year
down 1.3%
Rank
13th
of 13 groups
All-time high
8.4%
in 2000
All-time low
7.6%
in 2020
Years of data
21
2000–2020

Low birth weight prevalence in Europe (WHO region), 2000–2020

024682000201020202000: 8.42001: 8.42002: 8.32003: 8.22004: 8.12005: 8.12006: 8.12007: 82008: 82009: 7.92010: 7.92011: 7.92012: 7.92013: 7.92014: 7.92015: 7.92016: 7.82017: 7.82018: 7.82019: 7.72020: 7.6

Source: World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.

Analysis

Europe (WHO region) recorded 7.6% for low birth weight prevalence in 2020. That is the lowest value across all 21 years on record.

That represents a change of down 1.3% on the previous year and down 3.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, low birth weight prevalence in Europe (WHO region) peaked at 8.4% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 7.6%, in 2020.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 21 years of available data.

Low birth weight prevalence in Europe (WHO region), year by year

Annual values for Low birth weight prevalence (%) in Europe (WHO region), 2000 to 2020.
Year Value Change
2000 8.4%
2001 8.4% +0.0%
2002 8.3% -1.2%
2003 8.2% -1.2%
2004 8.1% -1.2%
2005 8.1% +0.0%
2006 8.1% +0.0%
2007 8.0% -1.2%
2008 8.0% +0.0%
2009 7.9% -1.2%
2010 7.9% +0.0%
2011 7.9% +0.0%
2012 7.9% +0.0%
2013 7.9% +0.0%
2014 7.9% +0.0%
2015 7.9% +0.0%
2016 7.8% -1.3%
2017 7.8% +0.0%
2018 7.8% +0.0%
2019 7.7% -1.3%
2020 7.6% -1.3%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 8.2% 7.9% 8.4% 10
2010s 7.8% 7.7% 7.9% 10
2020s 7.6% 7.6% 7.6% 1

Countries ranked near Europe (WHO region)

  1. 10 Madagascar 18.7% compare
  2. 10 Mauritius 18.7% compare
  3. 12 Burkina Faso 18.5% compare
  4. 13 Côte d'Ivoire 18.3% compare
  5. 14 Timor-Leste 18.2% compare
  6. 15 Sri Lanka 18.0% compare
  7. 16 Mozambique 17.8% compare

See the full ranking of 172 places →

More health data for Europe (WHO region)

All data for Europe (WHO region) →

Frequently asked questions

What is low birth weight prevalence in Europe (WHO region)?
Low birth weight prevalence in Europe (WHO region) was 7.6% in 2020, according to World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
What is the highest low birth weight prevalence recorded in Europe (WHO region)?
The highest recorded value was 8.4% in 2000.
What is the lowest low birth weight prevalence recorded in Europe (WHO region)?
The lowest recorded value was 7.6% in 2020.
How does Europe (WHO region) rank for low birth weight prevalence?
Europe (WHO region) ranks 13th out of 13 groups with data for 2020.
Is low birth weight prevalence rising or falling in Europe (WHO region)?
Over the last ten years it is down 3.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Europe (WHO region) data come from?
The figures come from World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory, published as part of Low birth weight prevalence (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Low birth weight prevalence in Europe (WHO region). Statizoid, drawing on World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory. Retrieved 03 September 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/low-birth-weight-prevalence-percent/europe-who-region/

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About this data

Indicator
Low birth weight prevalence (%)
Source
World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory
Licence
CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (WHO)
Coverage
172 places, 3,612 data points, 2000–2020
Last refreshed